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Hello Faith, good to hear from you. On the back of the engraving (or could it be a framed photo of an engraving?) that I have is written:

 "Born 1774 baptized Oct 2nd 1774, The Rev Thomas Prout, Son of Nicholas Prout of Denbury S. Devon. Graduated at Exeter College Oxford, was curate at Brixham and afterwards Rector of East Ogwell where he is buried in the chancel. Married Mary Caunter. Mary Prout oldest daughter of Nicholas Prout married Thomas Hunt my mother's grandfather. My mother's name was Mary Prout (??) Rawlins 1900 "

Does this help at all?  I'm not quite sure who wrote that, but I think it was my Mum's Mum's Mum.  Best wishes distant cousin,  Robert

P.S. I realise I was a  bit hasty saying I know where he's buried! OK, a chancel in a church in East Ogwell, but which church? I guess St. Bart's, but don't know for certain. I expect we could find out?

Hi, I just wanted to post something to keep this thread alive in case anyone is interested. I have been able to see some interesting reports in the Bucks Free Press on Mary Octavia's Memorial Service. It seems her death was a great shock and she was very sadly missed in her parish of Hazlemere where she was known for many acts of kindness. I am hoping to learn more in due course.

Meanwhile I would like to learn more about her husband's great great grandmother. She was known as Mary Smith of Wandsworth and is reported in family notes to have married Henry Wheeler b. 8-5-1747. Marriage reputed to be in 1776. It is presumed they then lived in at St James' Market in London where Henry had been born.

Some later Wheelers regarded her progeny as something of a mystery and infact attached some rather romantic notions to it. That is why I am interested to know more, though this is not directly relevant to my ongoing interest in Mary Octavia. Any help gratefully received. Best wishes.

I have just received a copy of Mary Octavia's will, dated and signed 14th June 1912... about a month before the date given for her death, 19th July 1912, in the Austrian Tyrol.

The will was proved in October that year. ( i hope this is the right terminology )
It seems to me then that authorities in Austria must have been pretty certain of the identification of her body, and possibly her date of death.
The story that her son was told was that she had disappeared.... gone for a walk and not come back.... and that weeks later the bodies of two women who could not be identified were found downstream in the river that passed the spa where she was staying.
This all looks a bit unlikely now..... What does anybody think?
I realise I've still got to check for local newspaper reports around the time of her death, perhaps for High Wycombe and in Brixen Where she died. Not sure how to do the foreign ones though....

Yes, I will try to trace a newsper obituary... didn't do anything about it today. About the consular site you gave me:  I am not sure how to use this.... they seem to want me to sign up and pay quite a lot of money. Any advice?